Trap.



T. H. JONES.

TRAP.

APPLICATION FxLED luLY 17. 1915.

1., 182,277. Patented May 9, 1916.

THX! 'CULUMBIA PLANOGRAW C0., WASHINGTON, D. E

TIRY H. JONES,OF LONGBEACH, CALIFORNIA.

TRAP. 1

Application filed July 17, 1915.

To all 'whom t may concern: l

Be it known that I, TIRY H. JONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Beach, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying `drawings.

This invention relates to an improved trap and more particularly to a trap for catching rats, squirrels and like animals, the invention having for its primary object to provide an improved device of this character which is so constructed that warning of the approaching danger to the animal is reduced to a minimum so that the device will be highly effective and reliable in practical operation. 4

kThe invention hasfor a more particular object to provide an animal trap including a box or pit having a hinged platform, latch means normally supporting the `platfornn'a bait holder connected to the latch member, and a spring sustained trigger plate mounted on the platform also operating to move the latch to its released position when the animal treads thereon, whereby the platform will swing downwardly and the animal will be precipitated into the pit.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an animal trap having a latch mechanism for the movable platform, of exceedingly simple construction but which will be effective to sustain the movabley platform and yet extremely sensitive so that it will instantaneously release the platform when the animal treads on the triggery plate or pulls upon the bait. Y v

lVith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

vFigure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the preferred'embodiment of my trap; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the trap; and Fig. 3" is a sectiontaken on they line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring in" detailtov the drawing,-5 designates` the body of the trap which consists preferably of a rectangular box or pit into which the animalis precipitated. This box is preferably constructed of sheet metal and is providedin'rone of its end walls with airA openings covered by wire gauze or other Specification of ALetters Eatent.

Patented May Si, 1916.

Serial No. 40,427.

reticulated material, indicated at 6. 1n the sin, I

pintles 8 which are seated in bearing recesses provided in the topwall of the box or body of the trap and over these recesses the platesl 9 are arranged andiixed to said top wall to retain'the hinge pintles in place.

Along each of the longitudinal edges of the opening in the top wall inv which the platform is mounted, the vertical parallel side walls 10 are arranged, said walls being preferably constructed of wire fabric. upper edges of these parallel walls are connected together, intermediate of their ends, by a transverse plate 11. Tn the free longitudinal edge of the platform 7, at the center thereof, a notch or recess 12 is formed, and,

The

over kthe inner end of this recess a keeper plate 13,whic h is fixed upon the platform, extends.y Upon the inner face of one of the vertical side wallsA 10 an upright 14 extends and is fixed at its lower end tothe top wall,

of the box 5 and at its upper end to the transverse plate 11. The upper end of this wall is provided with a longitudinal slot 15 through 4which the downwardly curved upper end 17 of a lever 16 extends.

This lever p is pivotally mounted upon a rod 18 extending across lthe slot v15 on the outer face of the upright 14. The leverl extends downwardlyupon the inner side of the upright 14 and at its lower end is formed with the afnsov guiar, inwardly projecting arm 19. Thisv lever, at the juncture of the angular arm a shoulder 23 whichis adapted to be engaged y by the edge of the keeper plate 11 on the hinged platform 7, whereby said platform` is supported in the openingof the top `wall 'of the box 5. f

`A horizontally disposed U-shaped rod 24 has its extremities fixed to the inner face of the upright 14 and is provided intermediate of its ends with an opening 25 through which the iiexible wire or cord 26 is movably disposed. One end of this flexible member is connected to the arm 19 of the lever' 16 vand the other end thereof is Vsuitably atjacent to the rod 24: with upwardly projecting hooks or prongs 29 upon which the bait is adapted to be fastened.

30 designates a trigger' plate which is yieldably sustained upon the platform 7 in spaced relation thereto by means of the leaf springs 31 which are fixed at one of their ends to theplatform adjacent to its hinged edge. One end of a leaf spring 32 is also fixed to theY under side of the trigger plate adjacent to the relatively opposite end thereof, and the free end of this leaf spring extends beneath the metal plate 12 and engages the inclined edge of the latch member 21. At the corners of the opening in the top wall of the trap body opposite to the platform hinges, stop plates 33 are secured which limit the upward swinging movement of the platform when the same is moved to its closedYV position, Spaced arms 34 are fixed at one of their ends to the hinged edge of the platform and are movable in vertical slots 35 providedin one of tlie'side Walls 10. The other endsof these arms are connected by the weight element 36 whichacts by gravity toreturn the platform to its closed position.- A i f V.In the practical operation of the invention, it will be understood that the bait is properly attached to the lower end of the pendant bait rod 28, the hinged platform 7 being supported in its raised position Y beyond the plate 12. Thus, the hinged vplatform 7 is lreleased so that it drops downwardly by gravity and the rat or other animal is precipitated into the pit or box. If, however, the animal does not place suiiicient weight upon the trigger plate 30 to depress the fsame so that the platform is released but reaches the bait without stepping upon the trigger plate, a Vpull upon the bait will swing the hanging rod 28 and, through the flexible connection 26, will transmit movement to the latch element 21 through the medium of the angular arm on the lower Aend of they lever 16 so that said latch member is moved to its released position and the lhinged platform or door will drop.

VAfter the platform has been precipitated into the box 5, the weight 36 moves downwardly by gravity and returns the platform toits normalV position. In this manner, the trapping of the rat oriother animal is positively assured and the device rendered highly effective and reliable in practical use.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing', the construction and several advantages of my invention will be clearly and fully understood'. As the animal may obtain a clear view longitudinally over the platform yand the side walls 8 are constructed of wire v use -to which the trap is to be applied and it will, therefore,be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes as may Vfairly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I'desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:- I

1. .A n Vanimal trapincluding a pit having atop wall, ahinged trapdoor mounted in said wall, a pivoted latch member to support the trap door in closed position, a pendant bait receiving member, connecting means between said member and one end of the latch element whereby the trap door will be released by a pull upon the bait, and additional means mounted upon the trap door and actuated by the weight of the animal cooperating with the opposite end of the latch element to move the same and release the trap door.

2. An animal trap including a pit having a top wall, a hinged trap door mounted in said wall, a lever fulcrumed at one end for rocking movement and having an angularly disposed arm on its other end, a latch element to support the door in itsv closed position, said element being pivotally connected to the lever at the juncture 'of the arm therewith, a pendant bait holder, and `a flexible connectionbetween said bait holder and the arm of the lever'whereby the latch element is moved toits released position by a pull upon the bait so that the trap -door willdrop and precipitate the animal into the pit.

3. An'animaltrap including a pit `having a top wall, a trap door hingedly-mounted movement and pivotally connected to the' upper endvof the latch element, a movable bait receiving member flexibly connected to and release the trap door so that the animal 10 the lever to actuate the latch element whenk will be precipitated into the pit.

the bait is pulled by the animal so that the In testimony whereof I hereunto alix my trap door1 is released, a sprirlilg sustained signature in the presence of two witnesses. trigger p ate mounted upon t e platform,

and means I,on the under side of said plate TIRY H' JONES' projected into engagement with the lower Witnesses:

end of the latch lever' when the animal ELLEN MCGARRY,

treads upon the plate to move said element W. H. HOGE.

Copies ot this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

